Water-feed for steam-boilers.



t PATENTED SEPT. a, 1904. T. M. WILKINS. WATER FEEDTOR STEAM BOILERS.

A APPLICATION FILED D110. 10, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

A TTOHNEX w/ TNESSES:

Patented September e, 1904;

U ITED (STATE-S, PATENT Orricn. I

THOMAS M. VVILKINS, OE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOTHE AUTOMATIC BOILER FEED COM.- PANY, OF SEATTLE,WASHINGTONQA CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

WATER-FEED FOR STEAM-BOILERS.-

SPECIFICATIOK forming part of Letters-Patent No. 769,368, datedSeptember 6,1904.

Application filed December 10, 1903. Serial No. 184,568. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

provements in Automatic Governors for Pump or'Gravity Water-Feeds forSteam Boilers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the ac companying drawing.

This invention relates to feed-water regu lators for steam-boilers.

The object of the invention is to provide an effective and quick-actingdevice for automatically actuating a valve whereby the water within asteam-boiler may be retained at a suitable predetermined level, ornearly so.

I attain this result by the novel construction, arrangement, andcombination of the various parts, as will hereinafter be fullydescribed,

The accompanying drawing shows in vertical section a portion of thewater-gage of'aj steam-boiler with a device embodying my in}.

vention applied thereto.

The reference-numeral 2 represents a cas ing provided withoppositely-disposed lugs 3, through apertures 3 of which projecttheupper ends of tie-rods 1, provided with adjust? ment-nuts 4 and 4",whereby the casing is supported from a yoke-frame 5, integrallyconnected to the shell of a steam-boiler or to one of its connections,'such as a water-gage 6, wherein the water surface is in the same planeas the main body of thewater within the boiler.

vantageously, as will appear hereinafter, be tween nuts 4: and the saidlugs.

, ate the inlet and outlet openings 9and 10, re-

spectively, through which water is conveyed when the apparatus is to beused with a boiler charged with water directly from a gravity,

system or .head, or said valve 8 may control the steam-supply to asteam-feed pump for feeding the boiler.

Interiorly; of the said casing is a throttle-valve, such as 8, fitted toa corresponding seat 8"intermedi-' The stem 11 of the valve passesthrough a stuffing-box 12 of the casing and is-connected integrally, asby a coupling 13, with a pipe 14, which in like manner is connected at apoint between the bottom of the said casing and the top of thewater-gage (where used) to the upper end of a somewhat larger pipe 15,concentric thereto, and both of these pipes (which hereinafter will "bedesignated as expansion-pipes) extend downwardly into the water-gage orboiler and are open at their lower extremities. The larger of thesepipes is fixedly secured to the said yoke, and its lower end terminatesat the horizontal plane where it is desired to retain the water-level ofthe boiler, while the other or interior pipe is extended a shortdistance say an eighth of an inchbelow the normal water-level.

Provision is made, as by air-valves, such as 16 and 17 for exhaustingany air which may accumulate within the upper portions of the spaces ofpipes 14: and 15, respectively, and which if not removed wouldappreciably in- I terfere with the ready action or efiiciency of thedevice. These air-valves are preferably closed by springs 18 and may beconveniently opened when required either by automatic means or by othersuitable mechanical appliancesas, for example, bell-cranks 19 andpull-lines 20, which in this case would be operated by the boilerattendant.

21 is a tube coiled about the said expansionpipes and through whichrelatively cold water is made to flow with the object of reducing thetemperature ofthe contacting pipes by conduction. Where the feed-wateris passing through the casing, this cooling-water may be drawn directlyfrom one of its pipe connections, as indicated in the drawing; but wherethe valve is interposed in a steam-line then it must be connected withsome source of water-supply, as the delivery-pipe of the feedpump.

The invention operates as follows: The water within the boiler beingsupposed to be at such a height that the lower ends of bothexpansion-pipes are submerged and they are severally filled with water,this condition withdrawn from the boiler to lower the watersurface belowthe level of the open end of one or both of the expansion-pipes, whenthey will be evacuated of the columns of water therein and be replacedwith steam by reason of the 'difierence in the specific weights of thesefluids. The bottom of the larger expansionpipe being in a higher planethan that of the other will obviously act first as the water sinks andoppositely as the water rises. When the steam is introduced into thesaid pipes, the temperature of the part or parts thereof external of theboiler will be raised and expand the metal of same and increase theirlengths sufficiently to raise the valve,

which, as aforesaid, is integrally connected thereto, and permit thepassage of the fiuidsteam or Water, as the case may be. Oftentimes theexpansion of the shorter and larger pipe will alone be suflicient toregulate the valve to admit water regularly and in ample quantities intothe boiler; but under extraordinary duty-as, for instance, when a boileris doing excessive service--then the use of both the expansion-pipeswould be requiredthat is to say, the water-surface within the boilerwould seldom fluctuate enough to put the inner pipe into service, or, inother words, the last-named pipe is provided principally in asupplementary capacity. The valve being open admits water, where theinvention is used with a gravity system, directlyinto the boiler, or bythe use of a feed-pump steam is conveyed through the valve-casing toactuate pump and force the water through suitable pipe connections intothe boiler. hen the water is raised to a higher level than the open endsof the expansion-pipes, the steam is displaced by water, and therebycontracts the lengths of the said pipes by the reduction of thetemperature, and consequently closes the valve and cuts off theinjection of water. The reduction of the temperature is accelerated bythe flow of cool water through the tube 21. The function of the springs7 is to per mit a limited amount of lengthening of the expansion-pipesbefore the valve is opened and likewise act to close down the valve morequickly during the contracting of the pipe, inasmuch as the springsassert themselves to raise the casing coincidently with the valve untilintercepted by the nut 4", while the valve continues to be lifted to itsmaximum elevation or in its most open position, or, vice versa, thevalve closes during the first part of the downstroke and is seatedpositively during a continuance thereof. Furthermore, by the use of thesaid springs all danger of the valve-stem breaking by reason of thepowerful tension of the contracting pipes is obviated, as it compensatesthe movement of the valve relatively to its seat to varying expansionsof the pipes.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the opening and closing of thevalve is accurately regulated by the expansion and contraction of thevalve connections and which in turn are dependent upon the level of thewater within the boiler.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the severalaforedescribed parts without departin from the spirit of the inventionor sacrificing its advantages. For instance, instead of two concentricexpansion pipes a single one would actuate the valve; but in practice Iprefer to use two pipes, as it has been demonstrated experimentally tobe more sensitive in its action.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a valveand its casing, of means to open and close said valve by the expansiveand contractile force of metal acted upon by steam and water,respectively, such means comprising a pipe extending from the normalsurface of the water interiorly of the boiler to some distanceexteriorly thereof and integrally secured intermediate its length to theboiler structure, a pipe extending from a short distance above andaxially through the other pipe, both of said pipes being open at theirlower ends and closed at their top ends and provided with air-reliefvalves, the top end of the first-named pipe being integrally connectedto the second-named pipe, and a rigid connection between the latter pipeand the said valve.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a valveand its casing, of means to open and close said valve by the expansiveand contractile force of metal acted upon by steam and water,respectively, such means comprising a pipe extending from the normalsurface of the water interiorly of the boiler to some distanceexteriorly thereof and integrally secured intermediate its length to theboiler structure, a pipe extending from a short distance below to somedistance above and axially through the other pipe, both of the saidpipes being open at their lower ends and closed at their top ends, thetop end of the first-named pipe beingintegrally connected to thesecond-named pipe, and a rigid connection between the latter and thesaid valve.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a valve, acasing for said valve, rods connecting said casing with a boiler,springs 011 said rods, a pipe openatits lower end and extending from thenormal water-surface within the boiler to some distance exteriorly ofthe boiler, said pipe being rigidly connected intermediate its length tothe said boiler structure and at its outer end to an axially-disposedpipe of less diameter, the last-named pipe extending from a shortdistance beyond the inner end of the larger pipe to some distance beyondits outer end,

both of said pipes being-open at their inner ends and closed at theirouter ends, connection between the smaller of said pipes and the saidvalve, and a water-circulating tube coiled about the said pipesexteriorly of the .boiler.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described,

presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. WILKINS. v

to a valve, of a tube coiled about the said expansion-pipes exteriorlyof the boiler whereby a stream of cool water may be conducted forreducing the temperature of said expansionpipes contacting therewith.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in Witnesses:

H PIERRE, BARNES, M. E. BREWER.

